Berg, Neil H.,tech. coord. 1990. Experimental forests and ranges. Field research facilities of the Pacific
Southwest Research Station. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-119. Berkeley,CA: Pacific SouthwestResearchstation,
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 67 p.
The 10 experimental forests and ranges in California administered by the Pacific Southwest Research
Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, are described. The purposes of these facilities, and
how to request their use for approved scientific study are given, and the natural resource base, data bases,
studies, and general features of each are also described.
Retrieval Terms: forestry, forestry research, wildland research, experimental forests and ranges, California,
Pacific Southwest Research Station
The Authors:
The authors are all Station staff scientists. Most of these individuals have day-to-day administrative authority
for the experimental forests and ranges described.
EARL B. ANDERSON, Research Physical Scientist, Riverside (retired)
NEIL H. BERG, Supervisory Hydrologist and Project Leader, Berkeley
JOHN G. KIE, Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist, Fresno
ROBERT J. LAACKE, Supervisory Research Forester, Redding
BARRY R. NOON, Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist and Project Leader, Arcata
WILLIAM W. OLIVER, Supervisory Research Forester and Project Leader, Redding
WADE G . WELLS 11, Hydrologist, Riverside
Publisher:
Pacific Southwest Research Station
P.O. Box 245
Berkeley, California 94701
April 1990
Experimental Forests and Ranges
of the Pacific Southwest
Research Station
Neil H. Berg, Technical Coordinator
Contents
..............................................................................................................1 Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest ..................................................................5 Introduction
William W. Oliver
Challenge Experimental Forest
William W . Oliver
............................................................................11 North Mountain Experimental Area
Earl B. Anderson
Onion Creek Experimental Forest
Neil H. Berg
San Dimas Experimental Forest
Wade G. Wells II ....................................................................17 .......................................................................25 ...........................................................................29 San Joaquin Experimental Range
John G . Kie
........................................................................39 Stanislaus-TuolumneExperimental Forest
William W. Oliver
Swain Mountain Experimental Forest
Robert J. Laacke
Teakettle Creek Experimental Forest
Neil H. Berg
Yurok Redwood Experimental Forest
Barry R. Noon
.............:...........................................45 .................................................................51 ..................................................................57 .................................................................63 ...............................................................................................................66 Appendix-Metric Conversion Table ..................................................................67 References
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990.
* Station Headquarters
1Station Laboratories
@ Yurok Redwood Experimental Forest
@ Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest
@ Swain Mountain Experimental Forest
@ Challenge Experimental Forest
@ Onion Creek Experimental Forest
@ Stanislaus-Tuolumne Experimental Forest
@
San
I Joaquin Experimental Range
@ Teakettle Creek Experimental Forest
1San Dimas Experimental Forest
@ North Mountain Experimental Area
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990,
INTRODUCTION The Pacific Southwest Research Station administers 10 experimental forests and
ranges in California (see map opposite). Experimental forests and ranges are established by the Chief of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to
provide outdoor laboratories and to serve as sites for pilot testing and demonstrating integrated management techniques (USDA Forest Serv. 1985). They are
suitable for short-term studies and are especially useful for long-term studies where
close control of land management activities and experimental conditions are
needed.
Current levels of research activity vary from high (Swain Mountain and San
Dimas) to low (Blacks Mountain, Stanislaus-Tuolumne, and North Mountain). In
most cases, the activity is limited to maintenance and monitoring of existing
studies and installation of a few new ones. Timber is routinely harvested only at
Swain Mountain and Blacks Mountain, and periodically at Yurok Redwood
Experimental Forest. San Joaquin is grazed by cattle. North Mountain Experimen-
tal Area is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Station Director has responsibility for planning and executing research on
experimental forests and ranges and for determining if any proposed uses are compatible with the research objectives (USDA Forest Service 1987). Coordination of
activities is generally assigned to a specified project leader of a research work unit
associated with key research activities on the experimental forest or range. The
Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region, in most cases, has primary responsibility to protect the area and to develop and maintain improvements that serve the
needs of the general public. Normally, this responsibility is delegated to the
Supervisor of the local National Forest.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
INTRODUCTION
These experimental forests and ranges are available to scientists from the
Forest Service and cooperating institutions for conducting manipulative and nonmanipulative research studies. The location and cover type of each experimental
forest and range are summarized in table 1, and major features are described in the
following sections of this report. Included for each forest are subsections on
Climate, Soils, Main Communities, Data Bases, Examples of Research, and
Facilities. Information on using the forests and on current research is available
from the contact listed near the end of each section, or from the Station Director in
Berkeley. A study plan that outlines study objectives, procedures, resource
commitments, and duration-along
with maps of study locations-will
ordinarily
need approval by the designated project leader and review by the local National
Forest Supervisor before new work can begin.
USDA Forest Setvice General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990,
Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest
f To Little Va lieu
Entrance '
u
I
A Cone Mountain
- To
--
el.2027m
I
LEGEND
- -t^
Gravel or Dirt Roads
Mountain or Peak
0
0
1I2
1 mile
112
1 kilometer
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
BLACKS MOUNTAIN Experimental Forest The Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest was formally designated in 1934 as the
Station's principal site for management studies in the interior ponderosa pine
(Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. var. ponderosa) type. Studies going back as far
as 1910 had resulted in new theories of management, silviculture, and insect
control. A primary objective of the Experimental Forest was to develop these
theories into a system of management and to test, demonstrate, and improve the
system through continuous operation of a timber tract on a commercial scale.
Before full scale operations began, the approximately 4200-hectare forest was
subdivided into 100 compartments of about 40 hectares each. An intensive road
system, the first in the West specifically designed for truck hauling, was laid out
such that every compartment was bordered by a road. Compartments and roads
have been continuously maintained.
Early timber harvests were primarily for insect control. An insect risk-rating
system developed at Blacks Mountain was tested (Salmon and Bongberg 1942).
When it was demonstrated that the average cut of 35 cubic meters per hectare
could be logged economically, and that the cutting reduced the annual rate of tree
killing, sanitation-salvage was adopted widely. Duncan Dunning proposed the
mosaic of small even-aged groups of trees (the prevailing stand structure at Blacks
Mountain) rather than individual trees as the subject for management (Hallin
1954). This concept of "unit area control" was tested operationally during the
1950's. More recent cuttings have been designed to convert large areas of the
forest to young-growth stands needed for future research. Today, the forest
includes a wide range of stand structures and age classes from young plantations to
old-growth stands (fig. 1)in five uncut compartments designated Research Natural
Areas.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
BLACKS MOUNTAIN Experimental Forest
CLIMATE
The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
Annual precipitation, mostly snow, for the period 1935 to 1953 varied from 229 to
737 millimeters and averaged 457 millimeters. About 90 percent of the precipitation falls during October through May. Air temperatures during the year usually
range from - 9 T to 29T. Frost may occur in any month. Relative humidity is
usually low-10
to 20 percent on summer afternoons except during storms.
SOILS
Soils supporting conifers cover about 70 percent of the forest and are members
of the mixed, frigid families of Ultic Haploxeralfs and Ultic Haploxerolls. These
soils are 3 to 5 feet deep over lava bedrock. Mixed, frigid Ultic Argixerolls
underlay sagebrush flats. Site Index varies narrowly between 60 and 80 and
averages 72 (Meyer 1938).
Figure 1 -A wide range of stand structures and age classes from young
plantations to old-growth stands are found on Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
Interior Ponderosa Pine (SAF 237), which occupies 3715 hectares, is the only
forest cover type on the Experimental Forest (Eyre 1980). Species composition
varies within the type, however. White fir (Abies concolor var. lowiana [Gord.]
Lemm.) and incense-cedar (Libocedrus decurrens Torr.), absent in stands within
the lower portion of the basin, become increasingly abundant at higher elevations.
The remaining 437 hectares are poorly drained flats occupied by sagebrush and
grass.
DATA BASES
Road and topographic maps are available. In 1933 and 1934 the Experimental
Forest was completely inventoried on a 1-hectare grid. Timber type maps and inventories were prepared by compartments and revised after various harvests. Computerized stem maps and inventories are available for 20-year periods on 48
8-hectare parcels. The Lassen National Forest staff has mapped the soils to the
family 1evel.l This survey supersedes a more detailed survey conducted by
University of California, Berkeley, students in 1940.2
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
0
Growth of stagnated stands after thinning
Long-term effects of partial cutting
Comparing even-aged and uneven-aged silvicultural systems.
FACILITIES
The Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest has no facilities. Temporary office
space, equipment storage, and gasoline may be available at the Forest Service's
Bogard Work Center (19 road km southeast) or Hat Creek Work Center and the
Forest Insect Laboratory of the Pacific Southwest Research Station (48 road km
northwest). Gasoline and food can be obtained at Old Station (32 road km west).
Complete services are available in Susanville, 64 road kilometers southeast of
Blacks Mountain.
'Available from the Lassen National Forest, Susanvffle, Calif.
'Data on file at the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redding, Calif.
USDA Forest Service Geneml Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
BLACKS MOUNTAIN Experimental Forest
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Silviculture of California Conifer Types
Silviculture Laboratory
2400 Washington Avenue
Redding, California 96001
(916) 246-5342
LOCATION
Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest (lat. 40¡40N., long. 121'10' W.) lies
within portions of T. 33 N., R. 7 E. and T. 33 N., R. 8 E., MDM., 64 road kilometers northwest of Susanville, Lassen County (see map). About half of the Forest
lies in a gently rolling basin; the remainder extends up the mouelate slopes of
Blacks Mountain to the north and of Patterson and Cone Mountains to the east.
Elevations range from 1700 to 2100 meters.
Access to within 8 kilometers of the Experimental Forest is available all-year
via State Route 44. Access to the boundary and within the Forest is available
during summer and fall via an intensive system of surfaced and unsurfaced roads.
None of these roads is maintained in the winter, and many may be impassable
when wet.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
1 Mile
1 Kilometer
m
1
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
CHALLENGE Experimental Forest
The Challenge Experimental Forest comprises 1446 hectares surrounding the town
of Challenge. The property was deeded to the U.S. Government as a place for
field studies and for demonstration of forest management practices on stands of
second-growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. var. ponderosa)
and associated species (fig. 2). Results of studies conducted here were expected to
be directly applicable to more than 800,000 hectares of low elevation, highly
productive sites on the west slope of the northern Sierra Nevada.
The Experimental Forest, formally designated in 1942, was not activated until
1958. Early research sought answers to two major questions: (1) How to grow and
harvest young-growth (80-100 years old) ponderosa pine to ensure adequate regeneration, and (2)how to dispose of logging slash to reduce fire hazard and ensure
Figure 2-Clearcuttlng with natural regeneration was successfully applied to the secondgrowth stands of ponderosa pine and associated species on the Challenge Experimental
Forest.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
CHALLENGE Experimental Forest
adequate regeneration. Both even-aged (clearcutting, seedtree, and shelterwood)
and uneven-aged (group- and single-tree selection) management systems were
studied. Timber harvesting was accomplished through a cooperative agreement
with the Soper-Wheeler Company3 of Strawberry Valley, California. Management
of native California hardwoods, field testing of hybrid and introduced pine species,
and amount and pattern of soil moisture depletion by individual trees were other
important early studies. Experiment Station personnel were stationed at Challenge
from 1958 until 1982 with office and laboratory facilities in the La Porte Ranger
Station. The number of permanent, full-time personnel reached a maximum of two
research foresters, two technicians, and a secretary when most of the regeneration
cutting experiments were installed in the early 1960's.
Stand conditions are as follows. Uncut or partially cut sawtimber stands
occupy about 930 hectares in which volumes of the conifer componcr" average 322
cubic meters per hectare. Regenerated clearcuts as old as 25 years occupy about
514 hectares. Many of the clearcuts occupied by woody shrubs and poorly stocked
with conifers were mechanically cleared of shrubs and interplanted with ponderosa
pine and Douglas-fir (Pscudorsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco var. menziesii) during
1982-1987.
CLIMATE
The climate is Mediterranean in that summers are warm and dry, and winters
are cool and wet. Mean annual precipitation is 1727 millimeters, 98 percent of
which falls between October and May. Occasional snowfalls melt rapidly leaving
the ground free of snow most of the winter. Mean annual temperature is 13°C
Mean maximum temperature of 21° is reached in July, and mean minimum
temperature of 6° is reached in January.
SOILS
Most soils are old and deep. The Aiken and Sites Series cover most of the
Experimental Forest. Site index (Powers and Oliver 1978) averages 100.
--
--
-- .-
-
'Mention of trade names or products is for information only and docs not imply endorsement by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
Pacific Ponderosa Pine (SAF 245) is the major forest cover type (Eyre 1980).
Sierra Nevada Mixed Conifer (SAF 243), California Black Oak (SAF 246), and
Pacific Ponderosa Pine-Douglas-fir (SAF 244) types also are present.
DATA BASES
Precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures have been recorded at
the Challenge Ranger Station since 1938.4 Soils have been mapped both by the
Cooperative Soil Vegetation Survey5and the University of California, Davis, in
cooperation with Yuba County (Herbert and Begg 1969). The timber was inventoried in 1938 and 1939, and again in 1979.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
1Management of
native hardwoods
a Effect of timber harvesting on soil nitrogen transformations and mobility
1Influence of
initial spacing and woody understory vegetation on growth and
development of planted ponderosa pine
 Regeneration
following single-tree and group selection cutting
1Interspecies relationships in
California mixed conifers
a Influence of crown mass on litter decomposition and nutrient release
1Evaluation
of ponderosa and sugar pine progeny derived from phenotypically
superior trees.
'Data on file at the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redding, Calif.
'Maps and legends for quadrangles 39 D-3 and 50 A-2 are available from California State
Cooperative Soil-Vegetation Survey, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
CHALLENGE Experimental Forest
FACILITIES
The Challenge Experimental Forest has no facilities other than a small shed
for storage of field equipment. Temporary office space and equipment storage
may be available at the La Porte Ranger Station. Gasoline and general merchandise can be obtained in the town of Challenge, but not lodging. The nearest accommodations are in Oroville or Marysville.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Silviculture of California Conifer Types
Silviculture Laboratory
2400 Washington Avenue
Redding, California 96001
(916) 246-5342
LOCATION
The Challenge Experimental Forest surrounds the small community of Challenge, Yuba County, which is 42 road kilometers southeast of Oroville and 56 road
kilometers northeast of Marysville (see map). It occupies portions of T. 19 N., R.
7 E., MDM (lat. 3998' N., long. 121°13W.). Elevations range from 730 to 1130
meters.
Access to the Experimental Forest is available all-year via the paved
Marysville-La Porte Road. Access within the Experimental Forest is available
most of the year via one paved road and a system of graveled but unplowed roads.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
NORTH MOUNTAIN Experimental Area
The North Mountain Experimental Area (NMEA) was established on January 8,
1964, when land previously administered by the Bureau of Land Management,
U.S. Department of the Interior, was withdrawn from all appropriation under the
Public Land laws including mininglmineral leasing laws by Public Land Order
3221. This withdrawal occurred by authority of the President, and pursuant to
Executive Order 10355 of May 26, 1952.
The NMEA contains a total of 4348 hectares. Nearly the entire area is
covered with chaparral that is representative of southern California, low elevation,
interior nontimbered wildlands. No unique or special features are found within the
M A . The Bureau of Land Management land examiner described the area as
"badlands," created apparently by uplifting along the Hot Springs Fault line. Three
major drainages dissect the NMEA: Potrero, Poppet, and Indian Creeks. All three
are ephemeral. Since 1983, nearly all of the vegetation on the Experimental Area
has burned. A major fire in 1932
burned over 80 percent of the area,
and again in 1967 the Bailiff Fire
burned about 60 percent of the
NMEA. Use of the Area is subject
to valid existing rights and is limited
to activities directly related to
research in problems of prevention
and control of forest and range fires.
Early studies at the North
Mountain Experimental Area centered on fuelbreaks and fuel
properties (fig. 3). Plant control
Figure 3-This fuelbreak along the Castile Truck Trail was a part of the extensive
fuelbreak research conducted by the Forest Fire Laboratory In Rlverslde.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
17
NORTH MOUNTAIN Experimental Area
research was conducted in two main categories (fig. 4): (1) the eradication of
either selective brush plants or all vegetation, and (2) the reduction of plant growth
with growth-inhibiting substances. The research centered around the use of
herbicides which were believed to give the most effective and economical control
of brush regrowth in established fuelbreaks. Another study concerned shrub seed
production, dispersal, and deposition on chaparral vegetation to develop better
techniques for reducing the volume of hazardous brush fuels.
Other studies involved development of a low volume shrub that would slow
down or repel fires and the use of sheep to reduce fuel volume on fuelbreaks.
Studies to determine fuel properties affecting fire behavior of charnise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) and other species were included. North Mountain was also the
site of wind pattern investigations to compare collected wind data with predictions
from theoretical models of valley convections (fig. 5).
Figure 4- The use of growth Inhibitors on this previously burned site decreased the vegetative growth of the sprouts.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990,
NORTH MOUNTAIN Experimental Area
CLIMATE
The climate of the NMEA is typically Mediterranean. Due to its inland location, summers can be quite hot and dry, and winters cool and wet. Mean maximum temperatures over 3OT and relative humidity values below 35 percent are
typical for California inland stations.
Mean temperatures for Hemet (8 krn southwest) are as follows:
Minimum
Maximum
January
July
3-C
15È
16È
32È
The annual precipitation is only about 250 millimeters. Rain falls primarily
between October and April. January is typically the wettest month, with some 50
millimeters of precipitation.
Figure 5-Surface weather data were used for meteor@
logical research related to predicting wind velocities.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
NORTH MOUNTAIN Experimental Area
SOILS
Soils throughout most of the Experimental Area are derived from granitic
rocks. They vary considerably in depth, are low in organic matter, are moderately
coarse to very coarse, and neutral to slightly acid with the pH ranging from 6.5 to
5.8. They are low in fertility and have relatively low water holding capacity.
Some soils on rolling-to-steep uplands are moderately coarse Lithosols developed
from mica schists. The surface texture of these soils is predominately sandy loam,
but grades into clay loam a few inches below the surface. These soils are also low
in fertility, and are moderately permeable with medium to rapid runoff. Structural
development is lacking throughout the profile.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
The plant community is primarily of the Shrub Formation (Payen and others
1980). The major subformations are the Chaparral Subformation (Chamise,
Manzanita, Ceanothus, Mountain Mahogany, and Scrub Oak Series) and the Soft
Chaparral Subformation (California Buckwheat Series). Several other series are
present in minor and varying amounts.
DATA BASES
Aerial photographs are available: 1:20,000 vertical aerial photographs (1961),
and oblique aerial photographs (1964). A variety of maps are available: 7.5- and
15-minute topographic maps, 7.5-minute orthophotographic maps, and field-drawn
vegetation maps at the series level. Wildfire history maps go back to about the
1930'~~
'Available from the San Bemardino National Forest, San Bemardino, Calif.; and the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
NORTH MOUNTAIN Experimental Area
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
1Fuel
physical and chemical properties, and arrangement
1Short- and
(fig.
long-term recovery from prescribed fires under varying conditions
6)
1Factors
that affect hydrologic processes, vegetation dynamics, air pollution,
and nutrient cycling
0
Ecological and physiological studies of chaparral.
There is also a need to establish a long-term meteorological study site or sites
in southern California brush fields, to avoid site-use conflicts from possible
vegetation manipulations and to help better understand the meteorological components of management. North Mountain has such areas and is particularly attractive
from this standpoint.
Figure 6-Associated with fuelbreak research, prescribed fire was studied as an alternative treatment
to mechanical and chemical methods.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Re~ort
PSW-119. 1990.
Mt .Disney
&el. 2424-r
Mt.L USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
ONION CREEK Experimental Forest The Onion Creek Experimental Forest (OCEF) was established in 1958 to develop
techniques for increasing water yields from forested lands in the Sierra Nevada
snow zone. OCEF encompasses about 1200 hectares in five main subbasins. The
aspect is variable but generally southwest.
Harvest disturbance is minimal. Approximately 20 percent of the northwestern
portion of OCEF was harvested in the early 1900's.
Mapped geologic units include Miocene pyroclastics with Andesitic mudflow
breccias, volcanic conglomerate, and some tuff. Quaternary glacial deposits
include Pleistocene moraines, glacial drift and fluvioglacial sand and gravel. No
mineralization of economic significance is known to exist and no mining claims
are recorded. A portion of OCEF is formally withdrawn from mineral entry.
An ecological survey of a portion of the Experimental Forest listed major
forest plant species including red fir (Abies magnifica A. Murr.), white fir (A.
concolor var. lowiana [Gord.] Lemm.), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Dougl.),
Jeffrey pine (P.Jeffrey! Grev. & Balf.), western white pine (P. monticola Dougl.),
lodgepole pine (P. contorta Dougl. ex Laud.), incense-cedar (Libocedrus decurrens
Tore.), mountain hemlock (Tsuga rnertensiana [Bong.] Cam), and western juniper
(Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) (Talley 1977).
Grazing continues on OCEF. Approximately 200 animals pass through it over
a 3- to 4-day period twice each year.
Atmospheric deposition has not been measured on the Forest. However,
annual hydrogen ion loading at the nearby Central Sierra Snow Laboratory of the
Pacific Southwest Research Station has ranged from 7 to 10 milligrams per square
meter since 1983. Mean sulfate ion loading since 1983 is 4.5 grams per square
meter per year at the Snow Laboratory.
USDA ForestService General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
ONION CREEK Experimental Forest
CLIMATE
The climate is typically Mediterranean, with moist, relatively mild winters and
dry, warm summers. Annual precipitation is about 1060 millimeters at 1830
meters elevation, with 85-90 percent falling as snow during the winter. Mean
monthly air temperatures range from - l T in January to 15OC in July. Monthly
minimum temperatures vary from a low of -14T in January to 1° in July while
monthly maximum temperatures range from about 1 3 T in January to 30¡ in July.
SOILS
Soils are volcanic Xerumbrepts and have been classified as follows: Ahart/rock
outcrop (15 pet of the Experimental Forest area), Ahart/Waca (25 pet), Gefo
variate (5 pet), Meiss (5 pet), Tallac (15 pet), Waca/Meiss (5 pet), Waca~Windy(5
pet), miscellaneous (20 pet). Cation exchange capacities are 25-35 milliequivalents
per 100 grams (sum of cations) or 20-30 milliequivalents per 100 grams (ammonium acetate). A Soil Resource Inventory map (third order soil survey) is available.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
Red Fir (SAF 207), White Fir (SAP 211), Jeffrey Pine (SAF 247), and (by
meadow are the main plant communities (Eyre 1980).
DATA BASES
Climatic Data
Air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation (continuous strip chart)
data are available since 1976. Coverage before 1976 is sporadic.
Hydrologic Data
Continuous stream discharge records are available at five subbasins with areas
and mean annual discharges as follows:
Area
Imf
Discharge
'2.1
1.3 x 10'
'1.7
1.3 x
7.7 x
1.1 x
3.8 x
=l.o
'1.2
'0.5
dlyr
10'
10'
10'
10'
' October 1958 to September 1964.
' October 1958 to September 1964, and October 1965 to September 1967.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
ONION CREEK Ex~erimentalForest
A sixth gauging station monitors the entire 9.3-km2 basin. The 20-year mean
annual discharge (1960 to 1980) for the basin is 8.8 x lo6cubic meters per year.
The "main stem" gauge has been in operation since August 1959, except for a 2year period in the early 1980's. The gauge on the smallest subbasin was reactivated in 1983, and has been in operation since then. Snowpack depth and water
equivalent have been monitored monthly at a snow course since 1937.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
Snow hydrology
Freshwater aquatic biology
Materials evaluation.
FACILITIES
Facilities are minimal: one small cabin with bunk beds for four and an outbuilding; no drinking water. Commercial accommodations are available 11 kilometers away at Soda Springs. The Central Sierra Snow Laboratory is 11 kilometers distant.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Environmental Hydrology of the California Snow Zone
Pacific Southwest Research Station
P.O. Box 245
Berkeley, California 94701
(4 15) 486-3456
LOCATION
The forest is in the north drainage of the American River about 20 kilometers
west of Tmckee, on the Tahoe National Forest (see map). It is 11 kilometers south
of Soda Springs, off Old Highway 40. Latitude is 3917' N., longitude is
120¡2lfl5W. Elevation ranges from 1830 to 2590 meters.
Main access is along approximately 6.5 kilometers of poorly graded county
road known as the Soda Springs-Riverton Road.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Re~ortPSW-119. 1990.
San Dimas Experimental Forest -
----
m
m Paved Roads
Gravel or Dirt Roads
Reservoir
' $4
I
1
ResearchNaturalArea
A
Mountain or Peak
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990.
SAN DIMAS Experimental Forest The San Dimas Experimental Forest (SDEF) contains some of the earliest and
longest records from continuously monitored, experimental watersheds in the
United States. It has been designated by the Man and the Biosphere Program of
the United Nations as a Biosphere Reserve and by the National Science Foundation
and the Institute of Ecology as an Experimental Ecological Reserve. Fern Canyon,
a 550-hectare tributary to San Dimas Canyon, was set aside in 1972 as a Research
Natural Area (RNA)-a
pristine area where only nondestructive research can take
place. Included in the area is Brown's Flat, a locally unique, mountain meadow
that supports a grove of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.).
The Experimental Forest was established in response to the need for an
outdoor laboratory in southern California to study various aspects of watershed
management. The need for an experimental forest in southern California had been
recognized since the founding of the California Forest Experiment Station (now
Pacific Southwest Research Station) in 1926. Edward I. Kotok, Station Director,
Charles J. Kraebel of the Station's research staff, and Walter C. Lowdermilk of the
University of California College of Forestry evaluated several potential sites and
formally recommended the San Dimas site in May 1932. Research operations
began in January 1933 when J. Donald Sinclair arrived as its first director (then
called scientist-in-charge), and this has long been regarded as the actual (if unofficial) beginning of the Experimental Forest. The Forest was formally established
on March 28, 1934.
The Experimental Forest is located within the Angeles National Forest and
comprises 6786 ha of steep, rugged terrain in the southeastern San Gabriel Mountains, with elevations ranging from 400 to 1700 m and slopes averaging 68 percent
(34 degrees). It encompasses the entire upper watersheds of the Big Dalton and
San Dimas drainage basins. Each of these basins is controlled by a large flood
control dam, built and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works. The two dams are located within the Experimental Forest just
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SAN DIMAS Experimental Fores
The course of research studies has changed considerably since the establishment of the San Dimas Experimental Forest. The original research was directed
towards increasing water yield, but new problems have led to new avenues of
research. Currently, the principal efforts are directed towards studying erosion and
sediment movement, water quality, postfire ecosystem recovery and the effects of
smog, as well as the continuation of several earlier programs. Because of its
accessibility to several nearby universities, research by their staffs and faculties is
an important part of the work at San Dimas. The forest also serves as an outdoor
teaching laboratory for local colleges, high schools, and educational groups.
Most major chaparral species are represented on SDEF. The dominant species
include charnise (Adenostomafasciculatum H. & A.), Ceanothus spp., California
scrub oak (Quercus d u m s a Nutt.), sumac (Rhus spp.) and manzanita (Arctostaphy-
10s spp.). Soft chaparral species include yerba santa (Eriodictyon spp.), California
buckwheat (Eriogonumfasciculatum Benth.), Lotus spp., and lupine (Lupinus spp.).
Large grass covered areas in Bell and Monroe Canyons are the result of
studies aimed at increasing water yield by converting brush to grass. Begun in the
late 1950's, this conversion produced some unexpected results in the form of
increased ground failures. The effects of this watershed manipulation are still
being studied.
Many tree species, especially coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Nee.), California sycamore (Platanus racemosa Nutt.), California bay (Umbellularia californica
[H. & A.] Nutt.), white alder (Ainus rhombifolia Nutt.), and bigleaf maple (Acer
macrophyllum Pursh) can be found in and near the riparian zones. Several old
stands of bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa [Vasey] Mayr.) are
gradually disappearing, possibly because of recurring fires and smog damage. At
higher elevations on north-facing slopes there are woodlands with large stands of
canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis Liebm.) interspersed with bigcone Douglas-
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990,
SAN DIMAS Experimental Forest
Figure 9-Oak woodland chaparral vegetation in the Fern
Canyon Research Natural Area is typical of the higher etevations on the San Dimas Experimental Forest. Bigcone Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) in the right center of the photograph is a typical associate of chaparral types at this elevation-about 1515 meters. (Photo ca. 7935)
fir plus a few ponderosa pine and sugar pine (Pinus
lambertiana Dougl.) (fig. 9). (An arboretum
featuring both native and introduced trees is
located at Tanbark Flats).
Wildlife is abundant and varied in the San
Dimas Experimental Forest. Over 40 species of
mammals and over 180 species of birds either live
in the experimental forest or visit it annually. In
addition there are over 35 species of reptiles and
amphibians, and numerous migratory waterfowl
and birds associated with urban environments.
A publication describing the research history
of the Experimental Forest includes complete
species lists for both plants and animals (Dunn and others 1988).
CLIMATE
The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet
winters. Annual precipitation at Tanbark Flats is 705 millimeters and falls primarily as rain. Snow is common only in the northeastern part of the Forest where elevations exceed 1500 meters. The rainy season runs from November through
March. The coolest month of the year is January and the warmest is August.
Mean monthly temperatures at Tanbark Flats are shown below:
Month
Mean temperature
OC
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
8.5
9.1
9.6
12.1
14.0
17.6
22.3
22.6
21.1
16.6
12.3
10.0
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
SAN DIMAS Experimental Fores
SOILS
The soils of the Experimental Forest are generally shallow, rocky and poorly
developed. Most are derived from one of two parent materials-a
Precambrian
complex of gneisses and schists, and a Mesozoic igneous complex (primarily
tonalite, and granodiorite). The most extensive soil groups are coarse-loamy,
mixed, thermic, shallow Typic Xerorthents and fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Mollic
Haploxeralfs, the latter developing primarily on the granitic parent materials and
the former on both types of parent material. At higher elevations (above 1370 m)
these same parent materials underlie fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Mollic Haploxeralfs.
Around Johnstone Peak in the southwestern part of the Forest is a small area of
fine, mixed, thermic Typic Argixerolls developed over a Miocene volcanic parent
material (andesite and rhyolite). On gentler slopes small areas of coarse-loamy,
mixed, thermic Pachic Haploxerolls can be found. These are underlain by parent
materials of schist and andesite.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
According to Kuchler's (1977) classification there are three communities on
the Experimental Forest: chaparral (Kuchler 29), coastal sagebrush (Kuchler 32).
and California mixed hardwood forest (Kuchler 23). Locally, chaparral is called
"hard chaparral" and coastal sagebrush is called "soft chaparral." The California
mixed evergreen type includes two communities that are locally recognized as
distinct types-oak woodland (Quercus spp./Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) and riparian
woodland (QuercuslAlnuslAcerlPlatanus).
DATA BASES
Reports and Publications
A master file of over 500 reports and publications has resulted from work
done on the Experimental Forest. In addition to published papers, this file includes
unpublished reports, surveys, study plans and miscellaneous data, as well as
complete plant and animal species lists.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990,
SAN DIMAS Experimental Forest
Long-Term Records (more than 20 years)
Available long-term records cover precipitation, temperature, relative humidity,
wind direction and speed, evaporation, streamflow and sediment yield. The rainfall
records include the 62-year record from Tanbark Flats and the 110-year record
from Glendora. For the local area (Los Angeles County), the Glendora record is
second in length only to the 113-year record from downtown Los Angeles.
Short-Term Records (less than 20 years)
Short-term records cover solar radiation, hillslope runoff and erosion, acid
rainfall, dry and wet deposition of air pollutants, and chemical pollutants in
streamflow (especially nitrates).
Mops and Aerial Photos
Available maps include soils, vegetation, geology and topographic features
(such as slope facets, steepness, aspect). Aerial photo sets date back to the late
1930's. Most sets cover only part of the Experimental Forest.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
0
Fire effects and postfire recovery of watersheds
Effects of fire on ecosystems
Effects of fire on the physical environment
Postfire recovery of ecosystems
Postfire erosion and recovery
Postfire water yields
1Erosion
and sedimentation
Hillslope processes
Sediment storage and movement in channels
Debris flow dynamics
Sediment budgets
Chaparral and woodland ecology
Air quality
Acid rainlfog
Atmospheric deposition
Nutrient cycling
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SAN DIMAS Experimental Forest
 Wildland hydrology
Water quality
Water yield
Soil water and groundwater movement
Prescribed fire applications
 Geologic hazards
 Wildlife
Â
studies
Climatic studies.
FACILITIES
The field headquarters at Tanbark Rats has office space, living quarters and
laboratory facilities, all with running water, electricity, and telephone communications. The availability of these facilities is limited and must be scheduled in
advance. Tanbark Flats also has an all-purpose shop, limited facilities for equipment storage, a fireproof vault for records storage, a dining and assembly hall, and
a heliport.
Field research facilities include over 50 gauged watersheds, the lysimeter
complex, the Fern Canyon Research Natural Area, two major dams and reservoirs
and three plantations of domestic and introduced trees. The gauged watersheds
range in area from 1 to 4200 hectares, and many have debris basins for trapping
sediment.
Other features of the Forest include internal access via 10 roads and an
extensive network of trails and availability of labor crews on request (this may be
limited by other demands, especially during fire season). The entire Experimental
Forest is closed to the public and entry requires the issue of a use permit and
necessary keys. This helps insure that ongoing studies are subjected to a minimum
of disturbance.
USDA Forsst Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SAN DIMAS Experimental Forest
CONTACT ADDRESSES
Project Leader
Ecology and Fire Effects in Mediterranean Ecosystems
Forest Fire Laboratory
4955 Canyon Crest Drive
Riverside, CA 92507
(714) 351-6560
and
Forest Manager
San Dimas Experimental Forest
110 N. Wabash Avenue
Glendora, CA 91740
(818) 963-5936
LOCATION
The San Dimas Experimental Forest (lat. 34'12' N., long. 117O46'W.) is
bordered on the south by the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, and La Verne (see
map). Elevation ranges from 400 to 1700 meters.
Primary access is from Glendora via Glendora Mountain Road and Big Dalton
Canyon Road. The field headquarters at Tanbark Flats is 16 kilometers from
Glendora via Big Dalton Road and 24 kilometers via Glendora Mountain Road.
Access is also available from the town of San Dimas.
The forest manager's office is located in Glendora at the Mount Baldy District
Ranger Station. Limited office space is available at the manager's office. Also
available in Glendora are clerical support to aid in searching records and access to
the Forest Service-wide computer network. The Forest Fire Laboratory of the
Pacific Southwest Research Station is 64 kilometers east of the Glendora office via
freeway, in Riverside.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SAN JOAQUIN Experimental Range
The San Joaquin Experimental Range (SJER) has been in existence since 1934.
It was purchased by the Forest Service and is managed by California State University, Fresno, for research and educational purposes under a long-term agreement
with the Pacific Southwest Research Station. SJER was the Annual Grassland
Biome site for the International Biological Program during the 1970's and is
currently a Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
SJER consists of about 1820 hectares (including a 33-ha livestock exclosure
built in 1934), cross-fenced into 34 range units varying in size from 7 to 295
hectares (fig. 10).
Figure 10-Numbered range units on the San Joaquin Experimental Range. Area of range units is listed at left. Hectares
protected from livestock are in parentheses.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SAN JOAQUIN Experimental Range
Vegetation on SJER includes annual grasslands and blue oak-digger pine
woodlands (fie. 11). Annual grasslands consist largely of introduced grass species,
such as wild oat (Avena fatua), soft chess (Bromus mollis), ripgut brome (Bromus
diandrus), red brome (Bromus rubens), wild barley (Hordeum spp.), and foxtail
fescue (Vulpia megalura). Common forbs include broadleaf filaree (Erodium
botrys), redstem filaree (Erodium circutarium), true clovers (Trifolium spp.),
popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus), turkey mullein (Eremocarpus
setigerus), and many others. In the blue oak woodland, the most common trees are
blue oak (Quercus douglasii), interior live oak (Quercus wislizenii), digger pine
(Pinus sabiniana), and California buckeye (Aesculus californica). Wedgeleaf
ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus) shrubs are also common.
Cattle on SJER consist of a breeding cow herd (about 275 cows with or
without calves), owned by California State University, Fresno. Except for grazing
systems experiments, grazing is continuous year-long (fig. 12).
Figure 1 1 -Much of the San Joaquin Experimental Range consists of blue oak savanna.
40
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
SAN JOAQUIN Experimental Range
CLIMATE
The climate is typically Mediterranean, with moist, mild winters and dry, hot
summers. Annual precipitation ranges from 254 to 813 millimeters, with a mean
of 483 millimeters and most falling as rain between October and April. Monthly
mean air temperatures range from about 6¡ in January to about 27¡ in July.
Monthly minimum temperatures vary from a low of slightly above freezing in
January to over 16T in July. Monthly maximum temperatures range from about
10¡ in January to almost 3 8 T in July.
SOILS
Soils are of granitic origin and most are less than 76 centimeters deep. On
upland sites, Ahwahnee Series (Mollic Haplustalfs) soils are common, covering
about 96 percent of SJER. These typically have A horizons that are grayish brown
to brown, slightly acidic, and low in organic matter content. Visalia Series soils
(Cumulic Haploxerolls) are found on alluvial or swale sites, are generally darker,
deeper, and more productive than Ahwahnee Series soils.
Figure 12-Grazing b y domestic cattle is a major land use at the San
Joaquin Experimental Range.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
41
SAN JOAQUIN Experimental Range
MAIN COMMUNITIES
Blue Oak-Digger Pine (Eyre 1980), California Prairie, and Blue Oak-Digger
Pine Forest (Kuchler 1977) are the main communities on the Experimental Range.
DATA BASES
Climatic Data
Daily precipitation and daily temperatures (minimum and maximum) are
available since 1934.
Plant Data
Peak forage production is available since 1934. For some years, detailed
seasonal production and composition data are also available. A wide variety of
producer and consumer data were collected for 3 years (1973-1975) when SJER
was the Annual Grassland Biome Site for the U.S. International Biological Program.
Livestock Data
Figures on stocking rates and weight gains are available for various years.
Wildlife Data
Biological data for various years are available for western rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), California quail (Callipepla
californica), California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi), avian community
structure, and other wildlife aspects.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
Â
Oak ecology
8
Wildlife habitat-relationships
Bird population trends
8
Livestock science.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990.
SAN JOAQUIN Experimental Range
FACILITIES
A variety of facilities is available (fie. 13). Dormitory facilities are limited.
Most summertime visitors prefer to obtain food and air-conditioned lodging in
Fresno or Madera, both about 40 kilometers away. Shop and limited laboratory
facilities are available for routine plant drying, sorting, and weighing. Some restrictions on facilities are imposed by previously scheduled use.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Manager
San Joaquin Experimental Range
24075 Highway 41
Coarsegold, CA 93614
(209) 868-3349
LOCATION
The San Joaquin Experimental Range is located about 40 kilometers north of
Fresno, on Highway 41, in Madera County (see map). Latitude is 3795' N., and
longitude is 119045' W. Elevation ranges from 210 to 520 meters.
Figure 13-The office building also contains laboratory and conference facilities.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
STANISLAUS-TUOLUMNE Experimental Forest
Obtaining adequate reproduction of sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Dougl.) by
natural seeding and planting was stressed by seedtree cuttings and small clearcuttings. Several plantations, areas of natural young-growth, and large blocks of
diverse species and age classes that virtually are uncut, provide great potential for
silvicultural and ecological research in this important and complex forest type (fig.
15). This research potential was recognized by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization's Program on Man and the Biosphere, which
formally recognized the Forest as part of an international network of Biosphere Reserves in 1977.
CLIMATE
The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and
cold, wet winters. Annual precipitation averages 940 millimeters, more than half falling as snow between December 1 and
March 31. Snow, in exceptional winters, may accumulate to
depths over 3 meters. Some drifts persist until about May 20.
Little precipitation falls during June through September. Air
temperatures during the year usually range from -23° to 35OC.
Average monthly minimum and maximum air temperatures range
from -7% and P C for January to 6° and 27OC for July. The
growing season is about 112 days.
SOILS
Moderately deep, sandy to f i e sandy loam soils of the
Holland Series are widespread in the Experimental Forest. The
soils are residual, derived from granite or diorite. On the higher
slopes and ridges, soils from the lava caps are shallow and
support poor tree growth. Overall, however, site quality is high.
Site Index is estimated to be about 110 (Meyer 1938).
Figure IS-Large blocks of diverse species and
age classes on the Stanislaus-TuolumneExperlmental Forest provide great potential for
silvicultural and ecological research.
USDA Forest Service GeneralTechnical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SWAIN MOUNTAIN Experimental Forest
The third and current period of heavy cutting is to extend the shelterwood
research results to operationally large areas and create extensive acreage of fir regeneration for future research. To these ends about one third of the Forest is
currently being regenerated through shelterwood cutting.
CLIMATE
The climate at Swain Mountain can be classified as cool and moist even
though there is a 4- to 5-month summer dry spell. Precipitation averages from
1243 to 1270 millimeters per year, almost all of which falls between October and
March. Eighty percent of the moisture falls as snow, and snowpacks of 3 to 4
meters are common in February. In exceptionally wet years with late spring
snows, drifts can persist until late July. Between April (or May) and October,
precipitation is negligible and from scattered thunder showers. Winter temperatures generally do not fall below -23T and summer temperatures only occasionally
exceed 29" C. Average monthly minimum and maximum air temperatures range
between -17OC and 4 T for January and between 4° and 2 7 T for July.
SOILS
Soils vary from 0.6 to 2.4 meters deep and are generally well drained except
in association with small "shoestring" meadows. The soils are derived in place
from weathering of the andesite and associated ash. The lava flows that formed
the mountain are occasionally visible at the surface. Soil series have not been
mapped. Site quality varies but in general is good-a
Dunning Site I1 or Site
Index 150 at 300 years.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
The forest cover types on the Experimental Forest include large areas of Red
Fir (SAF 207), White Fir (SAF 21 I), and small areas of Lodgepole Pine (SAF 218)
cover types (Eyre 1980). White fir predominates at the low to mid elevations
(1737 to 1890 m) with the proportion of red fir increasing with increasing eleva-
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
1
SWAIN MOUNTAIN Experimental Forest
Low altitude color aerial photos, approximate scale 1:3800 are available.
Flights were made in 1980 and 1981 and show all experimental cuttings to that
date.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
Natural regeneration
0
Growth and yield
Â
Pathology
Site preparation
0
Effects of insects on cone crops
Mortality prediction for old-growth fir.
FACILITIES
There are no facilities on the Foresi, and no surface water is available. Unimproved campgrounds are along Robbers Creek, which forms part of the boundary
of the Forest. Water from the creek is not potable.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Regeneration of California Forests
Silviculture Laboratory
2400 Washington Avenue
Redding, California 96001
(9 16) 246-5461
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990,
LOCATION
Swain Mountain lies at latitude 4095' N. and longitude 12196' W., 13 kilometers north of Westwood (see map). The Experimental Forest covers the entire
mountain and rises from 1737 to 2149 meters above mean sea level.
The Forest can be reached via County Road A-21, a paved road that is kept
clear of snow all winter. Neither the approximately 1.6 kilometers of all-weather
road between the highway and the Forest, nor the extensive road network on the
Forest are kept open during winter. Access between approximately mid-December
and early May is limited to snowmobile, skis, or similar transportation. All of the
current 41.8 kilometers of all-weather road is accessible by automobile, except
when limited by snow. All parts of the Forest are easily reachable by short walks
over gentle terrain.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
'TO
SaUciill
Flat
camparound
BlacK ROCK Road
USDA Forest Service General Technical Rewrt PSW-119. 1990.
TEAKETTLE CREEK txperimental horest Three 200-hectare watersheds were first selected for study in 1934. Streamgauging
stations were constructed on five subdrainages in the mid 1930's, and data on snow
accumulation and melt, and precipitation and streamflow were collected. In 1942
the work was halted due to World War 11. Studies were resumed in 1957 and the
approximately 1300-hectare Experimental Forest was formally dedicated in 1958.
The original objective was to determine methods of managing watersheds in representative fir and fir-pine types for the maximum beneficial yield of water consistent with control of floods and erosion.
An ecological survey of a portion of the Experimental Forest was written in
1975. Major forest species listed in that study include red fir (Abies magnifica A.
Mum.), white fir (A. concolor var. lowiana [Gord.] Lemm.), sugar pine (Pinus
lambertiana Dougl.), Jeffrey pine (P.jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.), western white pine
(P. monticola Dougl.), incense-cedar (Libocedrus decurrens Ton-.), mountain
hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana [Bong.] Cam.), and western juniper (Juniperus
occidentalis Hook.). Lodgepole pine (P. contorta Dougl. ex Laud.) grows on the
higher portions of the Experimental Forest. Subordinate species include Arctosta-
phylos nevadensis A. Gray, Arctostaphylos patula Greene, Ceanothus cordulatus
Kellogg, Chrysolepis sempervirens [Kellogg] W . Dud., Prunus emarginata [Dougl.
ex Hook.] Walp., and Quercus kelloggii Newb. (Griffin 1975).
Atmospheric deposition has not been measured onsite. Hydrogen ion loading
has been monitored since 1980 at Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, 55
kilometers south southwest. At Giant Forest hydrogen loading in 1982 was 10
milligrams per square meter with a 4-year mean (1980-1984) of 4.5 milligrams per
square meter per year. The 1982 sulfate ion loading at Giant Forest was 3.9 grams
per square meter with the 4-year mean (1980-1984) 3.5 grams per square meter per
year.
\ Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990,
TEAKETTLE CREEK Experimental Forest
Harvest disturbance is minimal. A minor "sanitation" cut in 1979 along roads
to the gauging stations is the only known timber removal.
Mapped geologic units are primarily Triassic metarnorphics, mainly quartzite,
with some Miocene olivine basalt on top of the quartzite. Only the lower elevation
southeastern comer of the Forest is granodiorite. The entire Experimental Forest is
withdrawn from mineral entry.
CLIMATE
The climate is typically Mediterranean, with moist, relatively mild winters and
dry, warm summers. Annual precipitation is about 1120 millimeters at 2100
meters elevation, with most falling as snow between November and May. Mean,
maximum, and minimum July air temperatures are 17T, 30¡Cand 3 T . Winter
records are unavailable.
SOILS
Soils are generally Xerumbrepts and Xeropsamments typical of the southwestem slope of the Sierra Nevada. Mapped series, with percentage of Forest area in
parentheses, include Cagwin (15 pet), Cannell (15 pet), Sirretta (10 pet), Ledford
(15 pet), Toem (10 pet), Umpa (5 pet), Waca (5 pet), Windy (5 pet), Shaver/
Ledford (5 pet), and miscellaneous (15 pet). The cation exchange capacity, determined by the sum of cations method, is 25-30 milliequivalents per 100 grams.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
Red Fir (SAF 207), Ponderosa Pine-Sugar Pine-Fir (SAF 243), and wet and
dry meadows are the main communities (Eyre 1980).
DATA BASES
Climatic Data
Data available for 1977 to the present are air temperature, relative humidity,
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
TEAKETTLE CREEK Experimental Forest
FACILITIES
The two primary buildings on the Forest are a warehouselgarage and main
cabin. The cabin sleeps five, and the warehouse has limited maintenance equipment. Laboratory space is not available. A field office of the Pacific Southwest
Research Station, with office and laboratory facilities, is located in Fresno, about 1
112 hours driving time away. Lodging is available at Dinkey Creek, approximately
40 minutes driving time distant.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Wildlife Research and Range Monitoring
Forestry Sciences Laboratory
2081 E. Sierra Avenue
Frcsno, California 93710
(209) 487-5588
LOCATION
Teakettle Creek Experimental Forest is located in the north drainage of Kings
River about 80 kilomctcrs east of Frcsno, California, on the Sierra National Forest
and is 12 kilometers southwest of Wishon Reservoir (see map). Latitude is 37%'
N., and longitude is 119°2'25W. Elevation ranges from 1980 to 2590 meters.
Main access is along approximately 8 kilometers of graded road from the
junction with a paved road at Tulc Meadow.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
Yurok Redwood Experimental Forest '
s
/
---
ivel or Dir
Research Natural Area
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
SOILS
The entire region is underlain by Mesozoic rocks of the Franciscan Formation,
a complex of raw to slightly metamorphic sedimentary rocks. This formation is
generally soft and easily weathered, so that soil development is good, with unweathered regolith at depths of about 3 meters in most areas. Rock outcrops are
few and, where they do occur, shallow soils and exposure combine to make such
sites ecologically unique. The major soil series is Melbourne, with a small amount
of Hugo Series along the ridge tops (about 6.5 ha) and Atwell Series at the lower
elevations on the southern part of the Forest (about 2.0 ha). Unclassified alluvial
soils are found along High Prairie Creek on a total of about 32.4 hectares.
MAIN COMMUNITIES
The Yurok Research Natural Area supports very dense stands of old-growth
redwood averaging about 200 square meters per hectare. The two dominant
vegetation types on the forest are Sequoia sempervirens-Polystichum munitum and
Ainus rubra-Rubus spectabilis.
DATA BASES
Maps
Soil-vegetation maps are available for the general area.
Timber Data
Regeneration after cutting, young stand growth and yield, response to thinning,
and redwood sprout development were recorded intermittently between 1956 and
1982. Post-harvest regeneration and effects of shelterwood removal were recorded
between 1970 and 1985.
Wildlife Habitat Data
Data are available on species composition and abundance of vertebrate communities in response to changes in age, moisture, and structural features of forest
stands from 1983 to 1985.
Fish Habitat Data
Stream reaches and distribution of fish species in High Prairie Creek were
mapped from 1984 to 1987.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990,
YUROK REDWOOD Experimental Forest
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH
0
Salmonid preference for obstacle-formed pools
0
Stream structure and fish production
0
Ecology of old-growth forest wildlife habitat community.
FACILITIES
Dormitory and office space, garage, storage areas, and several small houses are
available on an administrative site. However, only some of these facilities are
maintained on a regular basis. Commercial facilities are available in Crescent City
and Klarnath.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Project Leader
Timber Management~Wildlifeand Fish Habitat
Interactions in Northern California Forest Types
Redwood Sciences Laboratory
1700 Bayview Drive
Arcata, California 95521-6098
(707) 822-369 1
LOCATION
The Yurok Redwood Experimental Forest is located on the coastal front of the
North Coast Ranges in northern California, about 2.4 kilometers inland from the
Pacific Ocean and near the mouth of the Klarnath River, approximately at latitude
41'35' N. and longitude 12495' W. (see map). Elevation ranges from 457 to 3658
meters
The Experimental Forest is readily accessible from U.S. Highway 101, 27.2
kilometers south of Crescent City and 6.4 kilometers from Klarnath.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990.
65
REFERENCES Dunn, Paul H.; Barro, Susan C.; Wells, Wade G., E, Pot!!, Mark A.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Colver,
Charles G. 1988. The San Dimas Experimental Forest: 50 years of research. Gen. Tech.
Rep. PSW-104. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 49 p.
Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC:
Society of American Foresters; 148 p.
Griffin, James R. 1975. Ecological survey of Teakettle Creek candidate Research Natural Area.
Teakettle Creek Experimental Forest, Sierra National Forest. Unpublished manuscript on file,
Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, CA, 50 p.
Hallin, William E. 1954. Unit area control-its development and application. Misc. Paper 16.
Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 10 p.
Herbert, Fred W., Jr.; Begg, Eugene L. 1969. Soils of the Yuba area, California. Davis: Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of California; 170 p., 41 maps.
Kuchler, A. W. 1977. The map of the natural vegetation of California. In: Barbour, M. G.;
Major, J., eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: Wiley; 909-915.
Mcyer, Walter H. 1938. Yield of even-aged stands of ponderosa pine. Tech. Bull. 630. Washington,
DC: US. Department of Agriculture; 59 p.
Paysen, Timothy E.; Derby, Jeanine A.; Black, Hugh, Jr.; Bleich, Vernon C.; Mincks, John W. 1980.
A vegetation classification system applied to southern California, Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-45.
Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 33 p.
Powers, Robert F.; Oliver, William W. 1978. Site classification of ponderosa pine stands under
stocking control in California. Res. Paper PSW-128. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest
and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 9 p.
Salman, K. A,; Bongberg, J. W. 1942. Logging high risk trees to control insects in the pine stands
of northeastern California. Journal of Forestry 40(7): 533-539.
Talley, Steven N. 1977. An ecological survey of the Onion Creek candidate Research Natural
Area on the Tahoe National Forest, California. Unpubhshed manuscript on file, Pacific
Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, CA; 65 p.
Taylor, D. W. 1982. Ecological survey of the vegetation of the Yurok Research Natural Area,
California. Report to: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Berkeley, CA. Contract 40-9AD62-793.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 1985. Forest Service Manual 4062, Experimental
Forests and Ranges.
U S . Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1987. Region 5 Suppi. 5 and PSW Suppl. 14 to
Forest Service Manual 4062.
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119. 1990
APPENDIX-METRIC CONVERSION TABLE
Metric Unit
kilometer (km)
millimeter (mm)
centimeter (cm)
meter (m)
grams per square meter
(dm2/yr)
hectare (ha)
square kilometer (km2)
cubic meters per year (m3/yr)
liters per second (11s)
degree Celsius PC)
kilogram (kg)
cubic meters per hectare (m3/ha)
USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-119, 1990.
British Equivalent
0.622 mi
0.039 inch
0.394 inch
3.281 ft
4.885 x lP3lb/ft2/y per year
2.471 acres
0.386 square miles
1.129 x 1P6ft3/s
8.107 x lo-'' acre-ftlyr
0.0369 ft3/s
(OF- 32) x 0.556
0.454 lb
7 1.457 bd ftfacre
The Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, is responsible for Federal leadership in forestry.
It carries out this role through four main activities:
0 Protection and management of resources on 191 million acres of National Forest System lands
0 Cooperation with State and local governments, forest industries, and private landowners to help
protect and manage non-Federal forest and associated range and watershed lands
Participation with other agencies in human resource and community assistance programs to
improve living conditions in rural areas
0 Research on all aspects of forestry, rangeland management, and forest resources utilization.
The Pacific Southwest Research Station
0 Represents the research branch of the Forest Service in California, Hawaii, American Samoa
and the western Pacific.
Persons of any race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or with any handicapping
conditions are welcome to use and enjoy all facilities, programs, and services of the
U S . Department of Agriculture. Discrimination in any form is strictly against agency
policy, and should be reported to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.